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Sports digest: Los Angeles Lakers zero in on Byron Scott as their new coach.

Wire services

Posted:
07/25/2014 08:22:25 PM PDT

Updated:
07/25/2014 10:33:24 PM PDT

The Los Angeles Lakers are focusing on a head coaching candidate who is familiar with the franchise.

Long the presumptive favorite after having three interviews with team executive Jim Buss, Byron Scott entered the beginning stages in negotiating his contract with the Lakers, a league source told the Los Angeles Daily News.

The Lakers have not provided a contract offer, but Scott was informed late Thursday that they'd like him to become their coach. It's unclear if that will be finalized in a day, a few days or more. Scott is currently vacationing.

Scott, 53, has coached three NBA teams, most recently Cleveland from 2010-13. He also played 11 seasons with the Lakers, who have been without a coach since Mike D'Antoni resigned April 30.

Also, Xavier Henry agreed to a one-year, $1 million deal to return to L.A.

Orlando signed veteran point guard Luke Ridnour, who played for Milwaukee and Charlotte last season.

The league reportedly is poised to turn the All-Star break into All-Star week. The move, which would give players seven days off in mid-February, would result in an increase of one or two back-to-back sets per team for the coming season, a source said.

Golf

Two-time winner Jim Furyk birdied two of his last four holes en route to a 7-under 63 and a tie with Tim Petrovic atop the Canadian Open leader board. Both were at 10-under 130 at Royal Montreal. Petrovic, who missed the cuts in his last five events, had a second-round 66. Graham DeLaet (63) and Kyle Stanley (67) shared third at 132. DeLaet is trying to become the first Canadian winner in the event in 60 years.

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Coming off a dismal showing in the first round of the International Crown, the United States switched around partners and beat Spain twice in the eight-nation event in Owings Mills, Maryland. Lexi Thompson and Cristie Kerr beat Belen Mozo and Beatriz Recari 3 and 2, and Paula Creamer and Stacy Lewis downed Azahara Munoz and Carlota Ciganda 2 up in better ball. A day earlier, the U.S. lost twice to Taiwan. "Obviously, we made the right decision," Pleasanton's Creamer said. Thailand leads Pool A with five points, followed by Taiwan and the U.S. with four apiece and Spain with three. Japan is atop Pool B with six points. South Korea has four, and Sweden and Australia have three each.

Bernhard Langer had a seven-stroke lead at the Senior British Open after shooting a 5-under 66. He was at 11-under 131 at Royal Porthcawl in Bridgend, Wales, with Colin Montgomerie (66) and Chris Williams (70) tied for second. Defending champion Mark Wiebe (77-153) missed the cut.

Jarrod Lyle shot a 2-under 69 in the Web.com Tour's Midwest Classic, leaving the Aussie seven strokes behind leader Zack Sucher in his first U.S. event since his second bout with leukemia. Lyle was at 6-under 136 in Overland Park, Kansas.

Motor sports

Joao Barbosa won the Brickyard Grand Prix, stretching his fuel in the IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship race. Barbosa, teaming with Christian Fittipaldi in a Corvette DP, finished 48.964 seconds ahead of Scott Pruett and Sage Karam in the 2-hour, 45-minute race at the 2.439-mile road course.

WNBA

Atlanta coach Michael Cooper had surgery for tongue cancer, and the team said he "will be back coaching soon." Assistant Karleen Thompson is filling in, but the Eastern Conference-leading Dream (15-8) lost 79-75 to Chicago (10-14).

MCT Information Services and The Associated Press contributed to this report.